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Published on: February 14, 2014
Feasibility and Determinants of Performance for a Tablet-Based Cognitive Assessment Tool in Rural and Urban Southeast
Chukwuanugo Ogbuagu1,2, Ekenechukwu Ogbuagu3, Obiageli Emelumadu1
1Comprehensive Health Center, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Neni, Nigeria.
Background:
Cognitive assessment is a key component of clinical evaluations for patients with dementia and Alzheimer's disease in primary health care (PHC) settings. The need for well-validated, culturally appropriate, and easy-to-use assessments is especially urgent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that are experiencing rapid growth in their older adult populations.
Objective:
To examine the feasibility and demographic determinants of performance for a tablet-based cognitive assessment tool (TabCAT) battery, which includes subtests for four cognitive domains, among older PHC patients in southeastNigeria.
Methods:
A cross-sectional mixed-method descriptive study evaluating the useability and performance of TabCAT.
Results:
We enrolled 207 participants (mean age of 64.7±13.5 years; 52% with only primary, 41% secondary, and 7% tertiary education). Most (91%) who initiated the assessment were able to complete it, requiring 10-15 minutes to complete. More years of education was associated with better test scores across all tests (p < 0.001). Living in a rural location was also associated with better performance (p < 0.05). Male compared to female sex did not associate with performance on any of the tests (all ps > 0.05).
Conclusions:
Tablet-based cognitive assessment was feasible in rural and urban settings of Nigeria. Better performance on cognitive subtests linked to more education and residing in a rural area; however, sex did not predict performance. Digital cognitive assessment tools hold potential for widespread use in healthcare and educational contexts, particularly in regions with varying levels of urbanization and educational access.
